Flavor Creation: 9 Lessons in How to Win

By: John Bedford, Mastertaste Inc.

Posted: August 9, 2005, from the September 2005 issue of P&F magazine.

Once a flavorist, always a flavorist! I have spent more time managing and directing than I have creating flavors over the past three decades, though I still believe I could put on my white coat, walk into the laboratory and make a better flavor than any of those whom I employ for the task.

Much has been written about the flavor creation process from a flavorist’s perspective; however, our purpose here is to refrain from brainstorming the ultimate flavors and to focus more on managing the process. This takes the perspective of flavor creation management. Experience has shown that certain strategies work, and others do not. Consider the following statements:

“Customers know exactly what they want. They offer clear and concise articulation of how the flavor should taste and work in their product.”

“Account managers are experts at capturing all the nuances of customer needs and recalling such details to the fl avorists.”

“Flavorists are fully attentive, focused, with an eye on the end results, deadlines and simple formulations.”